míng​zhū​tán​què

the game is not worth the candle

Senses

明珠弹雀/ 明珠彈雀 míng​zhū​tán​què the game is not worth the candle

Literally meaning "to use a bright pearl to shoot a sparrow"; used to describe a situation where the gain does not make up for the loss or where something precious is wasted on a trivial task

References

synonym 明珠弹雀/明珠彈雀 得不偿失/得不償失